Heart of Darkness

Angelica sat near the window and stared at the horizon watching the sunset. The women dying in her town seemed to stop for some time and then start again. She didn't only have the townspeople to worry about now, but also a killer roaming free and killing women of her age. 

She wasn't safe anywhere. Hopefully, soon she would be married and move to the other side of the town, where Lord Scott lived. Natasha would let him know she agreed to the marriage. 

The door to the room was opened after a knock and Natasha stepped inside. She had a frown on her face. "Sir Shaw is here looking for you," she said. 

Sir Shaw? Why could he be looking for her? 

Did he perhaps change his mind? 

Angelica left her window to go see why he was here. 

When she arrived at the parlor she saw that he wasn't alone. He came with another man. Angelica had seen the man somewhere but she couldn't recall exactly where. 

Perhaps she had seen him with her father? 

The man introduced himself as Lord Green. He was a business partner of Sir Shaw's father. Angelica got a bad feeling as she sat down to speak to them. 

"Lord Green has been doing his business outside the kingdom. He came back recently and found out about your father's death. Your father owes a lot of money to him." Sir Shaw explained. 

Oh. Things could definitely get worse. 

"How much did he borrow?" Angelica asked. 

Lord Green pulled an envelope out of his pocket. He opened it and then handed her the paper with the information. Angelica's eyes widened when she saw the sum he had borrowed. 

"Seven crowns?"

"Yes, My Lady," Lord Green replied. 

That was a fortune. More than her brother's inheritance. What was her father doing with this amount of money? 

"I don't have this much to pay you back." She said shocked. 

"Then you know what you need to do," Lord Green said. 

Oh no! They would take everything she and her brother owned. All the properties, wealth including the inheritance. 

"You pay off with everything you have and the remaining will remain a debt that you need to keep paying off," Lord Green explained. 

Angelica looked at Sir Shaw. She knew very well that he could easily pay off her debt or not seek to get any payment back. The man and his family had so much wealth, that it was running out of their pockets. His father together with this partner of his was one of the leading businessmen in the kingdom. 

Sir Shaw still looked at her with that lustful gaze. She knew he still wanted her but he couldn't ruin his reputation. His father was also known to be the cruelest man. Even if Sir Shaw wanted to marry her now, his father would be against it. Father's always controlled their sons with inheritance and one thing Sir Shaw wanted more than her was money. 

And now that she wasn't only a traitor's daughter but also had a huge debt to pay off, even Lord Scott wouldn't want to marry her. 

She lost her chance. 

"I don't have a job and as you know, marriage is almost impossible for me so I don't know how to pay you back," Angelica said. 

"Then you know what that means, Lady Davis. You have to work for me." Lord Green said. "And where is your brother? He will need to work for me as well." 

Her brother. Oh no! She was somehow happy she sent him away. "My brother is in a military camp on His Majesty's orders." She said. 

He nodded. "Then you will have to come with me." 

Angelica had no choice. 

Lord Green waited for her outside while she packed her things. She looked outside the window. Sir Shaw didn't bother to wait and left with his own carriage while Lord Green waited. 

Once Angelica had packed her things Natasha asked her butler to help her carry the luggage out. 

"I am truly grateful for all you did for me," Angelica told Natasha once they were outside. 

Natasha nodded looking a bit uncomfortable. "Take care of yourself." She said. 

After saying goodbye Angelica got into the carriage and sat across from Lord Green before they took the ride to his home. 

Lord Green was quiet and stared out the window. He seemed like a serious man who counted every coin so he wouldn't release her until she paid every cent. Angelica wondered when that would be since she wasn't good with chores. But she was a curious person and learned things fast. Hopefully, she would get along with the other servants. 

They arrived at his home before he even uttered a word. His butler was already waiting outside. 

"My Lord," He bowed, and then his gaze shifted to her. 

"This is Angelica. She will work here from now on. Show her around and introduce her to the others." Lord Green said and then left her standing there with the butler. 

"Good evening. My name is Owen." The butler greeted with a strained smile. He seemed just like Lord Green. 

"Good evening," Angelica replied nervously. 

The butler took her bags and showed her the way to the servant's quarters. Lord Green had many servants and Owen introduced her to each one of them. 

They looked at her surprised and a few recognized her when she was introduced to them. Now they would hate her for being a traitor's daughter, she thought. But they didn't show her any hostility and welcomed her. Then they showed her to the room where she would be sleeping with three other servants. 

The room was small, and the floor was covered with thin mattresses where they would sleep. The maids weren't mean but they didn't speak to her either. They kept their distance from her and gave her food to eat alone while they ate dinner together. 

Angelica tried to not be disheartened by the situation even though she had been emotional lately. She felt lost. Hopeless. 

The night was cold as she tried to sleep on the thin mattress where she could feel the hard and cold floor beneath. She looked at the other maids. They had already fallen asleep. If they could get used to it, she would eventually too. She just had to endure it for a while. 

Before she could barely get some sleep, she was awakened by a rooster crowing at the breaking dawn. 

The head maid Ellen was the one to show her what to do early in the morning. Well, not show her exactly but tell her as if she would know how to do it. The other maids acted as if she didn't exist and went on to do other chores like making breakfast, laundry, and cleaning the house while she was sent outside to bring eggs from the hens and milk the cow. From their expressions, it seemed like she got the more difficult work or maybe they thought she couldn't do it? She wasn't sure yet. 

Angelica said nothing and went outside to do what she was told. It was the first time she wondered among the hens and she liked it. She touched their feathers and felt bad when she took the eggs. Then she went on to milk the cow. 

That took a long while since she didn't know how to do it. She tried to find different angles that would be comforting and where she wouldn't be afraid that the cow would kick her. Because of her stubbornness, she figured out at last which way was the right way to milk the cow, and then she went back to the kitchen satisfied. 

The maids seemed a little surprised but tried to hide it. 

To test her, they sent her to do some other chores but with little time Angelica learned how to do those tasks as well. 

"Did you do work while living at home?" One maid asked. 

"No. I just like to learn new things." Angelica smiled. 

During the day they slowly opened up to her and at dinner, she sat and ate with them and they included her in the conversation. 

It had been a long while since she felt such warmth. It made her happy and sad at the same time. Her eyes burned with tears but she fought them back. 

"Angelica. A lady like yourself shouldn't be here. You are such a beauty and a kind soul. Have you tried to look for a husband?" Ellen asked. 

"It hasn't been easy," Angelica said looking down. 

They nodded with a sad expression. Angelica was warmed by the understanding coming from these women. 

Feeling more emotional than tired, she cried in silence that night after everyone went to sleep. 

Her brother had lost his inheritance, the home she grew up in didn't belong to them anymore and she missed her brother. She was also emotional because she had lost hope in people but these women brought her hope back. 

She closed her eyes. Maybe the days would get better slowly.